Why Do You Need A Kitchen Rug?

There are several reasons why you need to get one for your kitchen. Some are important, and others are more for our need. However, the most important reason is the protection of our floor.

From personal experience, I can tell you that kitchen is the place where most accidents happen. Whether it is a spill while I cook, or while washing the dishes in the sink, or even bigger disasters, like a broken pipe, kitchen area rugs can help reduce the damage from spills to your floor, especially if it’s a wooden one.

It also protects the floor from scratches. Since the kitchen is a high-traffic area and, by walking, we bring in all kinds of dirt and dust from other parts of the house. With moving around while cooking, those particles scratch the floor more and more. So, having a rug helps because those particles stick to it.

While cooking, I spend a lot of time standing. And let's face it, after a certain age, we all start to feel the strain. Having a kitchen rug provides a cushion for my feet and legs. Now, even after cooking a Sunday meal, I can still come back and sort dirty dishes right away and don’t have to get one of my boys to do it.

And having a kitchen rug simply makes my kitchen more pretty and homey. It gives certain warmth to it.

What To Look For In A Kitchen Area Rug?

There are certain things to pay attention to when choosing a kitchen rug for your kitchen:

Size – First thing you need to do is measure your free kitchen space and pay attention to the shape of your kitchen. Depending on that, you can focus on a particular type of rug that will fit in best to your floor. My advice is to find some examples of how others did it and then adjust the principle to your taste and need.

Color & Pattern – Just like with size, the type and the color of your kitchen matters in choosing the same with rugs. Whether you have a traditional, or maybe a modern one, or even if you want to combine something unique and new with the old, finding the color and patterns that will bring that certain flare to your kitchen is important.

Material and cleaning – With how much we cook and walk in the kitchen, it is necessary to consider the material of the rug. Depending on that, you know how easy or hard it is to clean it in case an accident happens.

There are flatweave cotton rugs for example, and they are most often used for a kitchen space because they are machine-washable, durable and practical.

There are some made of natural fibers such as jute, sisal, or bamboo. However, although they are renewable and typically free from chemical processing, they need to be hand washed with soap and water.

Woolen floor rugs are very soft for our feet and sturdy and are also water and stain resistant. But keep in mind that wool soaks up humidity from the air, and that can ruin it.

Some are synthetic like viscose, nylon, polypropylene, and polyester. These types can mimic some of the properties of natural fibers. They are very easy to clean and durable, but they can give a low-quality feeling.

Some are made especially for people who have medical issues with their feet and have a problem with standing long, so a special gel-like substance is placed in the rug to provide a needed comfort.

Price – Just like with other appliances and tools, you need to consider your budget before choosing a rug. Certain materials and quality of the rugs determine how much it will cost, so make sure you find the best deal your wallet can handle.

More About Synthetic Fibers

Nowadays, synthetic fibers are more often replacing the natural ones in the production of area rugs and carpeting. Depending on the type and quality, I barely noticed the difference on first glance.

There are 3 most often used fibers for rugs:

Nylon

This is the most often used fiber in rug industry since it is very strong and durable. It's perfect for high-traffic areas, and it is also water resistant and easy to dry.

On its own, it does not resist stains well, but with the addition to stain-blockers, there are hardly any problems with it. It might be slightly costly though, but given the quality of the fiber and the longevity, it’s worth it.

Polypropylene or Olefin

These are not as resilient as other synthetic fibers, so that is why it's not recommended to use them in high-traffic areas. That means they are not as durable as well.

However low pile and tightly looped styles offer the best results for these fibers. These fibers are water and stain resistant. And because of the fiber type, their melting point is low.

Polyester

This is one of the most eco-friendly synthetic fibers used for rug making. Much of the polyester today is made of recycled PET that is derived from plastic bottles which make the rugs recyclable too.

It might not be as durable as nylon, but it is naturally water and stain-resistant because of the closed-cell fiber.

What is interesting is that the colors look more vibrant on polyester than with nylon or olefin and even though less durable from nylon fibers, it is still popular in the rug-making industry.

Note: Even though most synthetic fibers are water and stain-resistant, they are not soil-resistant, meaning that they attract oils and are harder to clean because those oil stains attract particles of dirt and cause the discoloration that happens sometimes.

Do You Also Need A Rug Pad?

A rug pad is a thin layer made of either natural rubber or pelt that we place under our rugs. So, unless your rug already has a rubber backing, you might need something like this.

It provides extra protection to the both, the floor and the rug, by giving an extra layer, so it does not wear off, and it protects the floor from the rug scratching it while we are walking on it.

Another useful feature is that it prevents slips and falls because the pad will hold the rug in place. That means no accidental moving or tripping.

It also provides extra comfort for your feet while standing and makes walking more silent.

There are also some rug pads made of synthetic material. However, I don't advise using those. They are prone to sticking to the floor and can cause yellowing as well.

This runner rug is 100% nylon with low pile. Its warm chocolate shades can fit in with most wood-colored kitchens. Despite low pile, it’s still soft under the feet, and with the non-slip rubber backing it stays in place safely, so no accidental slips or tripping. The rubber also doesn’t leave any marks on the floor and doesn’t stick to it either.

Its dimensions are 2 x 7 feet, so that is smaller than the usual rugs this type, but it is enough to place under the sink or stove because it’s stain resistant and it is also non-flammable.

This rug is made of synthetic material, so it won't soak up any fluids, they will go through it. If an accident does happen, just use a paper towel to soak it up, don't rub the spot.

It’s not machine-washable, so you need to do it by hand if you don’t want the rubber to separate or to have lumps and wrinkles.

This is a multi-colored 4-foot diameter round rug. But even though it says multicolored, the pinkish tones are slightly more noticeable. It gives a shabby chic and also more rustic look.

It's 100% cotton made by taking strips of recycled fabric and then lining them up repeatedly, so you get a unique rug. Being handmade means that there are no two rugs with exactly the same color. And because of the way it's made, it is double sided for a longer lifespan with a borderline to prevent the stripe from coming loose.

The rug soaks up fluids very well but because it is hand-dyed, the color might leak to the floor if it gets too wet. For the same reason when washing it, make sure to hang dry it. Be careful not to vacuum it, just shake it to get the crumbs and dust out, and when it gets too dirty, you can wash it in a machine, just do it on the hand-wash program in cold water.

Because it is double-sided, you will need an additional rubber rug pad for it if you don't want it to slide too much. Also, because it's highly flammable, it's best to keep it away from a heat source.

A small 2 x 3-foot rug made of Jute fiber, dried to have a natural light brown color you can place in any kitchen and any floor. It's a renewable and biodegradable material great for the environment but because it’s natural it’s prone to knots popping and even breaking.

Its construction is thick-ribbed with big knots that might cause tripping, but walking on it feels like a massage for your feet even with a slightly rough feel to it. It also makes it double-sided giving it durability and longer lifespan. Unfortunately, bigger loops make it fun for pets to play with, so having this rug in a home with a cat or a dog is not advisable.

What you need to be careful of is to dry it really well after washing it because the rug can mold. So, wash with a detergent and water and then lay it out to dry.

Because it's double-sided, a rug pad is necessary as well to prevent sliding.

This affordable and vibrant colored rug is made of olefin. It's low pile, only ¼ inch, and it doesn't have any backing, so you will need a rug pad for it if you don't want it to slip. However, it does have 100% jute backing, so it is safe for wood floors and won't scratch them while sliding.

It's rather small in size, only 1.8 x 2.7 feet and the pattern of the rug is neutral and modern. There are 5 colors to choose from so you can just pick the one that would fit your kitchen the best.

The rug might be so thin that there is no cushy feeling under your feet, so it doesn’t provide that relief for your feet after standing longer, but it is still very soft to the touch.

It is also stain-resistant, so only mopping the fluids and washing it by hand with soap and water is enough to keep it clean. Just make sure you dry it properly.

This machine-made rug is 100% Polypropylene with cotton backing. Size is 2x6 feet, and the deep and rich red color gives it a very attractive and modern look.

Its pile is thick, has a nice nap, and it’s around 1.5-inch high. It might not be as soft as it looks, but it is very comfortable, even with bare feet. Because it is a shaggy rug, the strands can get smashed down by daily walking, but a simple vacuuming makes it nice and fluffy again.

Because its fiber is synthetic, it is naturally stain-resistant, and it does not absorb fluids. It is durable, and it does not shed. It is also easy to clean, just vacuum it or hand-wash it in cold water with some detergent and dry by hanging it. These features also make it pet-friendly.

It needs a rug pad if you don’t want it to slide around all the time and if you do not like it, there is a 30-day return policy.

Things I liked

Affordable

100% Polypropylene

Thick 1.5-inch high shaggy pile

Deep rich red color

Cotton backing

Doesn’t shed

Stain and water resistant

Pet-friendly

30-day return policy

Things I didn’t like

Needs a rug pad

Not as soft as it looks

Doesn’t soak fluids

Not machine-washable

The Kitchen Feels Mine Again…

What I learned after this research is that getting a rug cannot be determined by favoring one factor alone, be it the fabric or pattern or size.

So, even though I liked all of these rugs, some I could not picture in my kitchen.

Barbara Whitney

For the last 20 years, I’ve been cooking, preparing, researching, and gathering recipes, tools, and knowledge about food and the way we prepare it. Raising two lively boys and spoiling one great husband later, it’s safe to say that I’ve optimized my kitchen to deliver the best possible meal, no matter the occasion.

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